Adept Economics Director Gene Tunny has had an engaging and thought provoking conversation with Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts about the economic and social costs of lockdowns and border closures for the Senator’s podcast. Gene and the Senator also discussed the breakdown of decent public policy processes and planning during the pandemic. Researchers will be analysing and debating the merits of measures imposed during the pandemic for decades to come. In Gene’s view there is a reasonable chance they will eventually conclude we have made a huge policy error. The net benefits of lockdowns and border closures are becoming less clear by the day, particularly if one accounts for the mounting economic and mental health costs of these harsh measures.
To listen to the full conversation, head to the link below:
Senator Malcolm Roberts on Australia and Lockdowns. The health of our economy is not okay.
Here is the blurb from the show notes for Senator Roberts’s podcast:
I’m sure many are wondering just how much longer can we continue to survive, economically and emotionally, in this never ending unpredictable environment of lockdowns.
Human beings need to be able to plan for the future and have predictability about their world to be okay. At the moment many of us are not okay and our border communities are in a dark tunnel of turmoil that seems to have no end in sight.
The health of our economy is also not okay. Each time another lockdown demands we close our businesses our economy gets weaker. Our focus has to be on getting Australia, particularly small business, back to work. Small business is dying at the hands of the prime minister and our premiers, because their narrow focus excludes our economic security and surety for the future.
Federal COVID financial support packages finished up a few months ago so in some quarters we are yet to feel the real economic pain. There have been many business arrangements put in place that have created a mountain of IOUs and that avalanche is yet to hit us, such as property leasing payments put on hold. Our CBDs are still too empty and the For Lease signs are all around town.
Big business may well be declaring profits at the moment but the same can’t be said for small business. Small business is at the heart of the Australian economy and when it dies so does our economy and our communities. There is much economic pain that has not been captured in the data yet.
Small business needs real support that makes a difference. At this point the most useful contribution that any government can make is to stop these lockdowns and allow Australians to go out and earn a living.
Also, please check out our recent post:
Economic impact of lockdowns and interstate border closures on businesses across Australia
Please get in touch with any questions or comments by emailing us via contact@adepteconomics.com.au or call us on 1300 169 870.
Published on 6 September 2021